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Missing in action? Councillors running for mayor explain absences

Joe Pantalone deserves a gold star, Rob Ford shows up but often wanders away and Giorgio Mammoliti may want to keep an eye out for the truancy officer.

While the city hall schedule is known when the year begins, attendance at council meetings can be spotty. And it’s not just the councillors running for mayor missing in action.

That was highlighted at this month’s council meeting when the mayor and 16 of 44 councillors weren’t around to vote on bike lanes on University Ave. Council voted 15-13 not to proceed.

Concerns were also raised about the 15-12 vote to extend a restaurant lease for 20 years, with those wanting it to be put out for bids saying the outcome might have been different had more politicians been in their seats.

Attendance matters, particularly to citizens making submissions to city hall committees, who often complain when attendance is sparse or councillors are wandering around the room, talking to city officials.

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Although he had the best attendance record of the three councillors running for mayor, Pantalone wasn’t satisfied, calling it “unfair” to note he missed 17 recorded votes at a community council meeting when they came one after the other.

He said he missed the March 1 executive committee meeting because he was representing the city at a tribute to renowned psychiatrist and humanitarian Dr. Paul Garfinkle.

“In my opinion there has to be rare and exceptional circumstances to miss council or committee on major issues,” Pantalone said.

“If somebody is absent for a hockey game or something like that, something’s wrong. Ultimately the democratic system relies on us being there to do the job, to vote. If we’re not, we should say why.”

Ford also called the survey unfair, saying that he has never been absent from City Hall or Etobicoke Civic Centre during a council or committee meeting, although he is sometimes absent from the chamber for votes.

“If I’m not in the chamber I’m in my office, returning phone calls or having meetings,” Ford said. “I’m now returning 100 to 200 calls a day, up from 50 to 60 (before he joined the mayoral race) and it’s virtually impossible to do everything all at once.

“If you look over the past 10 years I know I have a better attendance record than Pantalone or Mammoliti.”

Ford did express regret for not returning for the afternoon session of a May 14 audit committee meeting, which saw it scrapped for lack of quorum.

He said he was doing an in-depth television interview and, while his staff should have alerted him to the quorum issue, he takes responsibility.

Like Ford, Mammoliti also said missing votes doesn’t mean he’s not working.

“What happens a lot with all of us is that when council meetings drag on the way they do, sometimes there are community meetings called that we are expected to attend,” Mammoliti said.

Mammoliti said the fact the city hall meeting schedule comes out well in advance doesn’t help.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “When community groups call a meeting, they don’t look at whether city council is meeting, they expect their local councillor to be there.”

Regarding recorded votes he missed at meetings of the Etobicoke-York community council, Mammoliti said he may have been “in the back” meeting with city staff.

“I would describe myself as a very busy councillor who if he isn’t there for those votes is part of some other committee or some other important meeting. I’m very busy and earning my salary. I’m not gallivanting. I’m working. I work for a living.”

Here’s a look at the candidates’ attendance records.

1. Rob Ford

A. City council:

Jan. 26: To approve Etobicoke-Finch West LRT line. Voted no.

Feb. 23: To ensure ice time is distributed equitably: Absent.

April 1: Yonge-Eglinton Square replaced by shopping mall. Voted no.

May 12: An amendment to remove the University Ave. pilot project from streets getting bike lanes. Absent.

B. Etobicoke York Community Council:

Jan. 12: Present but absent for a recorded vote on a planning and zoning bylaw amendment.

Feb. 9: Present but absent for nine recorded votes, many of them on sign variances decided by a 5-3 vote.

March 9: Present but absent for three recorded votes, a Baby Point Rd. site plan, a driveway width variance and a sign variance.

April 27: Present for meeting and all recorded votes.

C. Audit Committee:

Feb. 12: Present for part of the morning. Absent for a recorded vote on measures to increase the collection rate of parking tickets.

May 14: Present for morning. Was one of three councillors absent for afternoon session, resulting in cancellation of meeting due to a lack of quorum.

D. Licensing and Standards: Present at all four meetings, no recorded votes taken.

2. Giorgio Mammoliti

A. City council:

Jan. 26: To approve Etobicoke-Finch West LRT line: Absent.

Feb. 23: To ensure ice time is distributed equitably: Absent.

April 1: Yonge-Eglinton Square replaced by shopping mall. Absent.

May 12: An amendment to remove the University Ave. pilot project from streets getting bike lanes. Absent.

B. Etobicoke York Community Council

Jan. 12: Present, but absent for two recorded votes, on a driveway width and a sign variance.

Feb. 9: Present, but absent for a recorded vote on installation of an all-way stop at Burrard and Caulfield Rds.

March 9: Present, but absent for two recorded votes, on driveway widths and a sign variance.

April 27 - Present for meeting and all recorded votes.

C. Executive Committee

Jan. 4 – Absent

Feb. 1 – Present

March 1 – Present

April 7 – Present

April 19 – Absent

May 17 – Present

D. Toronto Zoo board

Jan. 21 – Absent

Feb. 18 – Present

May 6 – Present for part of meeting

May 20 – Present

3. Joe Pantalone

A. City council:

Jan. 26: To approve Etobicoke-Finch West LRT line: Voted yes.

Feb. 23: To ensure ice time is distributed equitably: Voted yes.

April 1: Yonge-Eglinton Square replaced by shopping mall. Voted yes.

May 12: An amendment to remove the University Ave. pilot project from streets getting bike lanes. Voted no.

B. Toronto and East York Community Council

Jan. 12 – Present, but absent for recorded vote on O’Connor Dr. rezoning.

Feb. 9 – Present, but absent for recorded vote on Broadview Ave. rezoning.

March 9 - Present, but absent for 17 of the 44 votes on sign permits.

April 27 – Present for meeting and recorded votes.

C. Executive Committee (vice-chair)

Jan. 4 – Present

Feb. 1 – Present

March 1 – Absent

April 7 – Present

April 19 – Present for part of meeting.

May 17 - Present

D. Toronto Hydro board

Present for 3 of 4 meetings.

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